Coastal communities are unique in many ways: their geographical locations, culture, heritage, and the challenges that they face. A new study Communities on the edge from Pragmatix Advisory, commissioned by the Local Government Association Coastal Special Interest Group (LGA Coastal SIG), Coastal Communities Alliance (CCA), Coastal Partnerships Network (CPN) and partners, is being released on Wednesday 1 February, coinciding with an APPG for Coastal Communities roundtable on Levelling Up in Coastal Communities.

The report highlights the scale of the challenges faced by these communities and the disparities between coastal and non-coastal areas including the finding that coastal household incomes are almost £3,000 lower.

Sally-Ann Hart MP, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Coastal Communities says: “The additional challenges faced by people living on the coast are so entrenched that help is needed from central government to stop them falling further behind. Our beautiful coastline is an incredible national asset.  But it urgently needs sustainable long-term investment to make the most of the opportunities for growth – particularly in green jobs which can support the government’s climate goals.”

The study reveals that for coastal communities:

• A higher proportion of children live in workless households.
• Disabled people are less likely to find work.
• There is a damaging “digital divide” with gigabit broadband and 4G provision lagging behind.
• A lower proportion of children achieve GCSE qualifications in maths and English.
• Children are more likely to be persistently absent from school.
• People suffer poorer health outcomes, with higher rates of depression, suicide, alcohol-related hospital admissions, and emergency admissions for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.
• There are fewer council houses, leading to a greater reliance on the private rented sector where housing costs are higher.
• Cost of living pressures are more keenly felt, particularly in peripheral areas where it is impossible to access cheaper mains gas.

It also highlights that some of the challenges faced by coastal communities have developed over years or decades and will require longer term funding strategies.

The Report suggests that the government should consider:

• Changing the local government funding formula to better reflect deprivation and the needs of coastal communities.
• Long term, sustainable funding to support projects across their full lifespan – at the moment help for coastal communities is often time-limited.
• Strategic funding which would allow authorities to merge different streams to achieve levelling up in coastal communities.

The report will be available to view on the Coastal Communities Alliance and LGA Coastal SIG websites from 1 February 2023.